FARMINGDALE, N.Y. – In the first game of the 2018 calendar year, Sarah Lawrence suffered an 80-66 loss at Farmingdale State Tuesday at George E. Nold Hall. Four players finished in double-figures, including Austin Jones (Upper Marlboro, Md./Flint Hill School), who scored a season-high 20 points.

IN SHORT
Farmingdale State (6-4, 4-2) def. Sarah Lawrence (2-10, 1-6), 80-66.

RECAP
In the first game of the New Year for both squads, the contest went back and forth in the opening period, featuring nine lead changes in the first 12 minutes of play. Sarah Lawrence scored the first points of the afternoon, but a 7-0 spurt from the Rams gave them the advantage. The Gryphons took the lead again at the 12:16 mark, keyed by a triple from Isaiah Pean (Spring Valley, N.Y./Dwight-Englewood) (14-13).

Continuing to exchange baskets, a bucket from Kaleb Robinson (Las Vegas, Nev./Deerfield Academy (Mass.)) at 9:08 gave Sarah Lawrence its last lead of the game (22-20), as Farmingdale State closed the half outscoring the Gryphons 20-8, highlighted by a 14-0 run, to take a 40-30 edge into halftime.  

The Rams did most of their damage inside, scoring 23 of their 40 first-half points in the paint, capitalizing on a 23-13 margin in rebounds, including an 8-2 mark on the offensive glass.

Sarah Lawrence cut the deficit to single-digits to begin the second half (40-33), but the Rams answered with eight unanswered points to open up their largest lead of the afternoon (48-33). The Gryphons continued to battle, shrinking the margin to six with 5:58 left to play (67-61).

Farmingdale State, the defending Skyline champions and preseason favorite, pulled away, scoring eight straight points to push the lead back to double-digits for good, coming away with the 80-66 victory.

All five starters reached double-figures for the Rams, including Matthew Graham, who recorded a team-best 17 points.

TOP GRYPHON PERFORMANCES
Sarah Lawrence has gotten strong contributions from its first-years this season, and that trend continued in the first game of 2018. Robinson finished with 13 points, three rebounds, two assists and one steal, while Enike Anyia (Los Angeles, Calif./Wilbraham & Monson Academy) posted 12 points, eight boards, four assists and two steals. Pean added 12 points, a new career-high, along with eight rebounds and four assists.

UP NEXT
Sarah Lawrence returns to action Thursday (Jan. 4), hosting Old Westbury at Noyes Court at Campbell Sports Center.